Genomics expert, Dr. Christopher McMaster, founder of DeNovaMed, shares his passion for innovation and developing new therapies to treat rare diseases
Are you a healthcare student wondering how innovation will shape your future career? Join us for an engaging chat with Dr. Christopher McMaster. Dr. McMaster is a national leader in genomics and rare disease therapies, who also founded DeNovaMed Inc., a biotechnology company developing novel antibiotic therapies. He will share insights on launching a company and why innovation is one of the most important skills you’ll need in today’s healthcare landscape.
From leveraging new technologies to rethinking how care is delivered, innovation opens the door to solving real-world healthcare challenges.
You, too, can think outside the box, regardless of your role in healthcare. Whether you’re a future doctor, nurse, or researcher, this is your chance to learn how innovative thinking can shape your path and impact patient care in meaningful ways.
Date/Time: September 22, 2025 from 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Location: Theatre C, Sir Charles Tupper Medical Building (5850 College Street, Halifax NS, B3H 4R2)(Located across the hall from Starbucks)
Snacks to be provided.
About Dr. Christopher McMaster
Dr. Christopher McMaster, PhD, FCAHS, is the Scientific Director of the Institute of Genetics for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and Professor of Pharmacology in the Faculty of Medicine at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada.
Dr. McMaster’s recent research focuses on using genomics and other ‘omics technologies to identify drug or gene therapy targets. Drug targets have been in the antibiotic space and gene therapies in the human inherited ‘rare’ disease space. He spun out a university-based biotechnology company, DeNovaMed Inc, that has been in business since 2012 that is moving new antibiotic therapies through the pre-IND space for first in human trials and HaliGene Inc in 2024 for a gene therapy platform for neuromuscular disorders.
At CIHR, Dr. McMaster has been the architect of several important funding opportunities including: the pan-Canadian human genome library; setting national guidance for consent for use of human genomes in research; using genomics clinically to determine new and better pathways to accelerate the diagnosis of rare disease patients; determining the socioeconomic and psychological impact of families with rare disease children; incorporating Indigenous values into genomics research guided by the CARE Principles; a pan-Canadian pediatric rare disease clinical trials and treatment network; incorporating Orphacodes into hospital ICD coding records to enable accurate measures of rare disease mortality, morbidities, and direct and indirect cost to the health system, and; finding pathways to bring gene therapies to first in human clinical trials for rare disease patients.
This session will be facilitated by Jessie Furze, an innovation professional and former researcher, who currently leads the Lab2Market Launch program at Dalhousie University. Lab2Market Launch is an accelerator program designed to help research teams commercialize their innovations. Her work involves close collaboration with startups, researchers, and industry partners across Atlantic Canada, aligning regional efforts with national standards..
Event Agenda:
4:00-4:30 pm: Doors Open
4:45 pm: Presentation + Q&As moderated by Jessie Furze, Lab2Market Launch Lead at Dal Innovates
5:45 pm: Event Concludes